Construction of a second main runway at Dublin Airport was approved by the Fingal County Council Planning Dept. earlier this week.Dublin Airport Authority welcomed the decision, calling the runway "a vital component of the overall future development plans to enable the airport to handle in excess of 30 million passengers per annum."

DAA said that based on current forecasts, the runway needs to be operational within the next 6-7 years. However, "it is expected that [it] will not be brought into operation until usage of the current runway is maximized."

The new runway will have a paved length of 3,110 m. and will be built 1.6 km. to the north and parallel to the present main runway, 10/28, which has a length of 2,637 m. It will replace an existing runway, 11/29, that is the shortest and is used for category AB aircraft or light propeller airplanes.

The new landing strip will be designated 10L/28R while its older sibling is re-designated 10R/28L. Dublin's third runway, 16/34, is a crosswind strip and measures 2,072 m. in length.